Mad Dash
by impossiblyrandom
Summary: This is a continuation of my first story, Girlfriend. The PS 118 gang waits with growing anticipation to see what happens in the Helga/Arnold/Lila affair.
1. Rhonda

_Wow, I was planning for Girlfriend to be a one-shot, it's that kind of story, but plans change for people who ask nicely. Or praise me. I like both. But rather than continuing on the way I started, I've decided to use Girlfriend as the pilot and this as the rest, sort of like a movie with a TV series spin-off. It will be written slightly differently, but hopefully not too differently. That being said, I don't know exactly where this one is going, but I hope it goes in the same directions as the title, otherwise it will make absolutely no sense. I'm going to try to have one chapter per character, with it tying up in Arnold's POV._

_I still own nothing except the laptop I wrote this one. No lyrics today._

* * *

It was a Monday morning and, for once, Rhonda was ready for school early. After Helga's gutsy performance in the talent show Friday, Rhonda was sure the entire school would be buzzing with rumors and speculations. She had a few of her own, of course, and they were likely to be much more realistic that most due to her having known Helga since they were quite young.

Rhonda walked quickly into the foyer, startling Edward, the family's butler. "Oh, Miss Rhonda, I am sorry, I did not realize you needed to be at school early today. I'll just have Willis bring the car around."

Rhonda glanced at the grandfather clock at the other end of the room. She was earlier than she had realized. Nadine probably wouldn't be ready to go if she left now. "No matter, I think I'll watch a bit of news before we leave."

Twenty minutes later Rhonda was seated in her car outside of Nadine's house. She knew that her best friend had insight on the situation that she did not. After all, Nadine planned on becoming a world renowned scientist, and you could not be a good scientist if you were not observant.

Nadine walked out of her house and joined Rhonda in the back of the car. "I take it you've been contemplating the Helga ordeal. It's probably all anyone will talk about today."

Rhonda nodded, waiting for her friend to continue. "I'm sure I mentioned this to you years ago, but Helga despises Lila. It was something that I pondered over back when she first moved here. I came to the wrong conclusion back then and I see why now."

"I vaguely remember you mentioning that, though if I remember correctly, most of us knew that she did not care to be friends with Lila."

"Yes, it was something that has plagued me for years. On one hand, Lila is everything that Helga is not. She is kind and sweet, polite and well liked. Back then she was a breath of fresh air. Helga was, and still tends to be, rude and bossy. We've all known her since preschool. Helga does not care much for changes. I thought that those differences accounted for her disdain toward Lila, but there was still something missing."

"And you knew all of this before last Friday?" Rhonda raised her eyebrow at her friend, unsure of where this conversation was going.

"Of course, I could tell you something you had never noticed about every single member of our neighborhood group, including yourself." Rhonda raised the other eyebrow. "Anyway, the point was I never could figure out what the missing link was. Back in P.S. 118 I was too unaware of emotions and their outward affect on immature children, and since then Helga has gotten much better at hiding things. If I'm not mistaken, Brainy was the only one who ever paid much attention to Helga, besides Phoebe, that is, and best friends don't tell."

Nadine and Rhonda both took a moment to remember Brainy. He had actually become quite attractive over the summer between middle school and high school. He asked Helga to the homecoming dance that year, and after she turned him down totally and completely, though not at all rudely, his family moved to England. Rumor had it he'd been in love with her for ages, and did not want a constant reminder of what he could never have.

Rhonda thought of him every now and then. If she had known how he would turn out, she probably would have given him the time of day he deserved when they were little. His family was ridiculously wealthy after all.

Nadine's next sentence snapped Rhonda back to reality. "Helga has been in love with Arnold since Lila moved to the neighborhood at least, probably much longer for the intense anger she showed toward her."

"What!? That's ridiculous. She was downright cruel to him. She always was. It was one of the first things I remember about him. I always wondered what he had done for her to unleash most of her wrath upon him."

"Yes, it was always him that she bestowed the most of her attention on. She didn't give most of us the time of day unless we happened right in front of her."

Rhonda gaped, rather like an extremely unattractive fish, at her best friend. She understood exactly what Nadine was saying, but was having trouble wrapping her mind around it. Helga had always been in love with Arnold. It was why she hated Lila.

It was completely the opposite of Rhonda's original chain of thoughts. She was inclined to believe that Helga's hatred of Lila had prompted her to try to steal her boyfriend away.

"How will all of this affect Arnold?" Rhonda had always thought highly of Arnold. He was there to help anyone and everyone, no matter what. Perhaps now would be a good time for her to repay a favor.

"That all depends on the exact motives and the outcome. But he should be fine. He's smart. He's not going to dump Lila just because Helga puts on a good show. Likewise, he won't stay with Lila if their relationship isn't going anywhere. He won't want to lead either of them on."

"People will take sides." Nadine was smart enough to know that Rhonda was actually unsure of what to do. They had been through far more with Helga, but she was also the one trying to steal someone else's boyfriend.

"As of right now, there is no side to take. If one of them sincerely needs our help, and they come to us in a professional manner, then perhaps we will help them. But right now, Lila has everything going for her. She is already in a relationship with Arnold and he will not cheat on her. Everyone loves Lila. If Helga pulls something nasty—" But before she could finish answering her friend, a conversation from a year or so back resurfaced in her head.

"Rhonda, we could be totally wrong! I can't believe I accepted information as a fact without actually verifying it."

"What do you mean? Does Helga not like Arnold after all?" Nadine shot Rhonda a look.

"Of course Helga likes Arnold. That's not what I was talking about. What if some of our assumptions about Lila are false? When we met Lila we thought she was too good to be true, but when she never faltered, we called her perfect. But what if, by then, we were so in awe of her that we never looked any deeper?"

"Why would you think there was a need to look deeper? We've known her for seven years and she has always been sweet and polite. If she wasn't, don't you think she would have slipped by now?" Rhonda crossed her arms and waited for her friend to reason that out.

"Perhaps she has slipped, but we never noticed. It all comes down to something Phoebe mentioned to me once. Phoebe was concerned because she'd been increasingly annoyed with how Lila was treating Helga. Phoebe felt like Lila was talking down to Helga, trying to make her feel inferior. Phoebe had never noticed this side of Lila before and she was concerned that Helga's disdain for Lila had begun to rub off on her. What if it was really the opposite? What if Helga's disdain merely canceled out the awe that the rest of us have for Lila? What if Phoebe was actually seeing Lila clearly?"

"I'd hate to think that I have been so in awe of Lila for all these years that I can't recognize a fraud."

"But we know nothing of her personality from before we met her. Keep in mind that Helga was already quite the actor by fourth grade. Why wouldn't Lila be able to hide things just as well?"

"Wow Nadine, you have a point there. But what does all of this mean?" Rhonda was more confused that she had been in a long time. Perhaps it would have been better if she hadn't woken up early. Her brain was already tired from the weekend hosting a cocktail party with her parents. That was why she'd had to wait until this morning to speak in depth with Nadine anyhow.

"It means that we do what any good scientist would do; we sit back and observe. Once we have enough evidence to support a theory, we will redirect our course of actions."


	2. Sheena

_Thanks for the reviews and such! So far so good, I hope I can keep writing at this pace. I know how frustrating it is to want another chapter only to have the writer disappear for long periods of time. I'll try not to do that to y'all.  
_

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Sheena couldn't believe how many rumors were flying around the school today. You would think people had better things to do that make up horrible stories about people they hardly even know. But as the day progressed, the rumors calmed down, and eventually it was commonly agreed upon that Lila had been in on things the whole time. Apparently Helga had wanted to use that song, but did not want to offend anyone by claiming to want some random guy. Lila had overheard her concerns and volunteered her boyfriend as the victim as well as herself to portray the angry girlfriend.

Sheena was glad it was all an act. While she had wanted Helga to find someone special to be with, much like Eugene was to Sheena, she was not a fan of her stealing someone else's man. She had also not enjoyed seeing Lila so violently mad. But now that she knew it was all an act…

There was also another rumor that had surfaced around mid-morning. The reason Helga needed someone else's boyfriend, and the reason Helga had never before had one of her own, was because Helga was uninterested in boys. Sheena had never considered the possibility that Helga was a lesbian, but it did make a little bit of sense. Apparently Helga was still "in the closet" publicly speaking, but rumor had it that she had had a bit of a crush on Lila back at the beginning of high school. That's why Lila knew that Helga was gay. It also hurt Helga to be around Lila too much; it reminded her of what she could never have.

It was amazing how much could be cleared up with one little performance. Or rather, the talk that occurred afterward. She and Eugene had pondered upon the events from Friday for a good deal of the weekend, but neither had any real idea of why Helga would be so mean to Lila. Lila was always so nice to everyone. Arnold was lucky to have such a sweet girlfriend. Sheena speculated that if they made it through high school, they would make it forever. Eugene agreed with her.

Lila must have known someone was thinking about her, because all of a sudden there she was. It was their shared lunch period, and although she rarely shared a table with Lila, today seemed like a good day to do so. She looked a little exhausted by all the rumors flying around.

"Lila! Over here! You look like you could use a little peace and quite during lunch, would you like to go eat under the tree with me today?"

Lila smiled at the taller girl, "why, thank you ever so much. People have been asking me so many questions, and I'm sure they are bothering my poor Arnold just as much. Oh, if only I'd have known before hand what trouble this talent show would cause for us."

Sheena gave the girl a sympathetic look and led her off to the side where she normally ate by herself. Sheena liked to use lunch as a time of meditation and reflections. That was why she rarely ate with others.

"Thank you ever so much for allowing me to eat lunch with you today, Sheena. I know how much you value this peaceful time in the middle of the day. If you'd like I can sit here quietly, so as not to disturb you ever so much."

"Oh Lila, you could never disturb me. Besides, you look like you could use a break from all the hustle and bustle of today." Sheena reached across the table and patted the girl on the arm.

"Yes, it has been ever so active of a day. I do feel that perhaps we should have announced my role in Helga's performance. But Helga insisted that it would be so much more fun for people if it was surprise."

"I'm sure that people will get bored of the talk within the next couple of days. Eugene and I were through with the topic by lunch time on Saturday, but that was also because he fell off his front stoop and I had to take him to get stitches."

"Oh! How is poor Eugene doing? I hope it wasn't too terribly bad." Sheena smiled at the concern in Lila's eyes.

"Eugene is fine, thank you. I'll be sure to let him know you were concerned." Sheena paused, not entirely sure how to continue. "Lila, would you mind if I asked you something private? If not, I don't mind, especially since it has to do with a rumor I heard this morning."

"Why Sheena, you just go ahead and ask away. I'll answer anything I can to the best of my abilities."

"Well, I was wondering, I heard something about Helga being interested in you, like the kind of interest girls normally show to boys." Lila smiled nicely at Sheena.

"Actually, this was supposed to be a secret between Helga and I, and I'm ever so sure I have no idea how it got out, but you can keep a secret, right?" Sheena nodded and made a motion as if to zip her lips. "That's actually true, Helga did tell me a few years ago that she liked me, liked me. I hadn't accepted any of the offers from boys, I was waiting for Arnold to ask, but she didn't know that, and she thought that maybe I would accept an offer from a girl. She was ever so embarrassed when I cleared things up for her, so I promised I would not mention it to anyone. She became a little bit defensive, you know how Helga can be when she's uncomfortable, and she said she would deny it ever happened if anyone ever asked."

"Oh my, I hope you weren't betraying her trust, telling me like you did." Lila looked shocked.

"Sheena! I know you won't tell anyone, except maybe Eugene, I wouldn't want to cause you to keep secrets form your boyfriend. But that promise to Helga was more to keep this from the public. I'm sure she won't mind if a trusted friend knows. But you know how high school is. She just isn't ready to be "out" to everyone. People here can be so cruel to people who are different. Perhaps when she's older she can be honest with the world. Until then, I do what I can to ease her life."

"Lila, you are such a kind friend. I'm so sorry I doubted your intent last Friday during the talent show."

"Nonsense, that just shows that I really am a good actress!" Lila smiled her brightest smile. "Now Sheena, do you think I can ask you something?"

"I would be happy to return the favor. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I'm sure you know that every summer I spend the first two weeks of the break with my cousins on the farm. I always miss my friends, and especially Arnold, terribly when I'm gone. And Arnold and I have been together for nearly two years. Do you think it would be appropriate to invite him to spend those two weeks with me on the farm? It would give us some time together to revitalize our relationship, you know how school can stress that sort of thing, and he could meet a good deal of my family."

"What at wonderful idea! I know just what you mean about school. Eugene and I are constantly busy with homework and volunteer work that we hardly have time to talk about the important things. I'm sure Arnold will be overjoyed at the invitation. Except, doesn't he normally work all summer so he can save up for college? You had better invite him soon, before he signs up for a bunch of work."

"Oh, good thinking Sheena. He mentioned once that he normally works extra shifts during the time I'm gone. Wow, this lunch has been ever so helpful. Thank you so much for this. We really should talk more often." Sheena smiled, about to return the compliments. "I don't mean to bail on you, but I just remembered I need to go speak to a teacher before class. Maybe I'll see you later this week." And with that, Lila jumped up and practically skipped away, never sparing a backwards glance to the trash that she had left for Sheena to clean up.

Sheena was surprised that she had done that, but then again, Sheena had monopolized most of her lunch period. She would hate to make Lila late for class if she couldn't make it to speak with her teacher soon enough. Sheena collected all of the trash on the table and sorted it into recyclables and actual trash. She threw away the trash and put the rest in her bag, her mind now on the proposal she had submitted to the school to install recycling bins.


	3. Nadine

_Thanks for the reviews! Let me know if there is anything I can do to make this better._

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Nadine had spent the last four days watching Lila and Helga like a hawk. After quite a bit of thought last weekend, as well as the rather productive conversations with Rhonda, Nadine was trying to spot the differences.

Helga had always been a secretive person. Even Phoebe had once admitted that she wasn't always sure what Helga was thinking. But now the secret of all secrets had been revealed, and Nadine was ready to see where this led her.

The problem with watching Helga was that Helga knew people were watching. Sure there were instances when she let her guard down, but after exposing yourself to the entire school you tend to pay more attention to how people are looking at you. So far all Nadine had observed about Helga was that she was really making a sincere effort to be nicer to Arnold.

Lucky for Helga, she did not have any classes with Lila. Luckier for Nadine, the one class she had with Helga, she also had with Arnold. And to top it all off, the teacher in that class had always been rather strict and refused to let them choose their own seats. The current set up was perfect for Nadine to watch Helga watch Arnold.

Helga had always been a great candidate for her observations. She did some of the most interesting things if you caught her unaware, which was extremely difficult for most people. In fact, aside from herself, Brainy, and Arnold, Nadine had never seen anyone catch Helga off guard. Of the three that could, Nadine had only ever observed, Brainy always got caught and punched, and Arnold refused to notice her odd behavior.

Rhonda had a couple of classes with Helga, and in one of them she sat right behind Helga. Nadine had given her some pointers on what to look for and record. So far she hadn't gotten much, but that was to be expected. Nadine hadn't gotten all that much either. Mostly Helga did her class work or gazed at Arnold. Once, he had turned around to ask her a question and rather than insult him she had blushed and quickly answered. Arnold, interestingly enough, had let his eyes linger even after she had averted her eyes down to her desk. He smiled a secretive smile and turned back around. Nadine was beginning to wonder if all wasn't quite as perfect in Lila world as previously expected.

Speaking of Lila, that was who Nadine really should have been paying attention to right now. If Helga's behavior had been slightly more open, Lila's was almost entirely sealed off. She only smiled when absolutely necessary and rarely giggled with the other cheerleaders she usually sat with. She seemed like she was constantly thinking about something important. She was even less flirty than usual with Arnold.

The teacher for the class she was in now, psychology, had mentioned at the beginning that they were going to be doing partner work today, and Nadine was waiting anxiously. Lila always partnered with Arnold, and they often talked in quiet voices about things that were definitely not related to psychology when they thought no one was listening.

Yesterday during biology Sheena had mentioned that Lila wanted to invite Arnold out to the farm with her to rejuvenate their relationship and for him to meet her family. Nadine really hoped that she hadn't asked him yet. This was the only class that they shared and the football team had been taking their spring training extremely seriously, so she didn't think they'd had much time together.

Unfortunately, if Lila was planning on asking him during this class, Nadine probably wouldn't be able to hear him because of Sid's constant stream of questions. Sure he was only trying to be a good partner and work on their assignment, but he was interrupting something far more important at the moment.

"You know Nadine, you told me you would help me with this class. I know I'm boring you, but I really need good grades on my class work and participation grade, otherwise there won't be anything to counteract the tests." Nadine jerked her eyes back to her partner and gave him a sheepish grin.

"I'm really sorry Sid. I know I haven't been very helpful. I guess I've just been so caught up in the situation between Helga and Lila that I haven't been thinking clearly." Sid gave her a knowing smile.

"Yeah, me and Stinky and Harold almost missed that one. We snuck out towards the beginning of the show to get slurpies over at the gas station. We almost didn't recognize Helga when we got back. Lila looked pretty mad, but Eugene said that she told Sheena that she was in on it."

Nadine raised her eyebrows in surprise. Sure there had been a couple of rumors about that, but she hadn't realized that Lila was actually claiming to have been in on it. "Seriously? Wow, she could have fooled me. I really thought she was going to strangle Helga."

"Yeah, us too. Can you believe how far into the air she flew? They must not have rehearsed that bit too well. But apparently that's also why Helga tried to run off the stage at the end. She felt bad for hurting Lila."

"Really? I thought she was just embarrassed about her performance." Nadine was starting to realize how helpful this partnership with Sid was turning out to be.

"Oh yeah, it's something else she told Sheena. Apparently Helga has the hots for Lila and asked her out back in freshman year or something. Me and Stinky were really upset we didn't know about that one. Perhaps if we had, we could have encouraged that relationship along. Helga may be mean, but she's also dead sexy. Lila's pretty hot too."

"Sid!" Nadine gave him an exasperated look to which he just shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey, we're teenage guys, what else do we have to think about?" Nadine glared at him. But it'll never happen. Something between Lila and Helga anyway. Lila is way too serious about Arnold."

"Yes, according to Sheena, she's going to invite him out to the farm this summer."

"Really? Wow, has she asked him yet?"

"Not as far as I know. But you know, if you hear anything about it, I'd love to hear what his decision is. You know Rhonda and I always throw an end of the year party and this year we might have to push it back a little. It would have sucked to not have Lila attend, but Arnold and Lila? We may have to change it again." Sid looked hopeful at the mention of the annual party, it was always amazing, but then again, things hosted at Rhonda's house were bound to be. "You and Arnold have football practice today, right? You should mention our party and see if he mentions going away with Lila, but be careful not to spill the beans. If she hasn't asked him yet, you don't want to ruin her surprise."

"Oh, good point. I'll be extra stealthy in my questioning attempts." Nadine smiled to herself. She had yet another pawn in her spy collections. It might also benefit her to speak with Phoebe. She usually had some good insight to share. Phoebe might also appreciate a heads on up the possibility of Arnold going away with Lila. Helga was bound to be unhappy about that when she heard.

Trying to be a good partner to her new source of information, Nadine suggested they complete their assignment. The rest of class flew by and just as they were putting the finishing touches on the paper, their teacher asked them to pass them forward. As Nadine turned to take the papers from the girl behind her, she overheard Lila ask Arnold to meet her after practice at Frosty's, the ice cream parlor near the school. Arnold accepted and, when he asked her why, she told him she had something important she needed to ask him.

Nadine smiled gleefully. This was it. There were only two weeks left of school, so Lila really couldn't wait any long to ask. Perhaps she and Rhonda could use a root beer float this afternoon.


	4. Helga

_Thank you for all of the reviews! I'm glad you all like this enough to bother._

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Helga was unsure of herself. Not that anyone besides Phoebe would pick up on that, but it was still disconcerting. If there was one thing Helga avoided at all costs, it was uncertainty. That was why Helga had spent basically her entire life with a bully façade. Change would cause people to notice. People noticing would cause commenting. Comments caused uncertainty. Unfortunately, no change meant never really growing up, and Helga was fed up with her childish persona.

Helga sighed and drew a heart around her and Arnold's initials, something she hadn't done in ages. Something that, back in middle school, she'd realized she was only doing when she was at a dead end. One of the few things she thought she changed. Lila could handle change. She'd had to move across the country and make new friends back in 4th grade. She changed her looks every year or so. She was making the change into an adult and that was what an adult Arnold would want. Lila was someone who could change with him.

Helga slapped her pen down. A couple people glanced her way, but luckily the teacher did not notice. Helga turned her eyes back down to her paper. What would she need to act like in order to be an adult? Helga flipped her paper over and picked her pen up. She tapped her pen on her nose for a moment while she thought. In order to be an adult, Helga needed confidence; she could not bully others when they revealed a weakness in her. Adults needed to be diplomatic in word and action. Patience was also important out in the real world. Successful adults were also trustworthy. Helga looked at her list. Confidence, diplomacy, patience, and trust. Those were the beginning qualities for Helga's metamorphosis into adulthood. Sure, there was probably much more to it than that, but if she could start here and gain these four qualities before the end of high school, than perhaps the rest would fall into place.

The bell rang to dismiss Helga to her final class. She thought about the changes she needed to make. Diplomacy seemed to be the most feasible for her. If she bit her tongue before saying most of what she said, and was just all around nicer to people, she should be able to get a good start on that one before summer. Patience would probably come with it. The other two would be much harder. She would leave those to begin during summer vacation. So it was decided. Start being nicer to people now.

Helga was pleased with the plan she had come up with. She couldn't wait for people to start seeing the change. Well, she could wait, she really didn't want to hear their opinions, but if they did comment, it would give her feed back on her actions. Helga all but skipped to her next class to tell Phoebe about her revelations. A group of students stood between her and the door. As she walked by she heard them snicker. From the corner of her eye she saw one point. She heard that stupid rumor pass between them. Helga's good mood was ruined.

Helga slumped down into her chair, causing her best friend to look up from the book she was reading. "Helga? Is everything alright?"

"Have you heard the rumors?"

"I'm sorry, I heard a few of them earlier this week, but this is finals week at the university and I've been pretty absorbed studying for those two college courses they let me sign up for. I haven't even been eating lunch in the cafeteria lately. All my free time has been in the library. What's going on?"

Helga glanced over at her friend. Phoebe wasn't afraid to change either. She was so unafraid, she had actually caused the school to change one of their policies about how many dual enrollment classes juniors could take. "Apparently I'm in love with _Lila_ rather than Arnold."

Phoebe gasped.

"Seriously. I thought I was ready for anything they could throw at me. I can handle being called a slut, even though I've never actually, technically kissed a guy. I knew there would be mean looks and pointed glares. I even prepared myself for Arnold giving me the cold shoulder, but none of this is happening because everyone thinks I'm a lesbian so all of a sudden it's fine to dedicate a song to another girl's boyfriend or something."

"Do you have any idea where this one started?" The look Helga gave to Phoebe said it all.

"Lila. It had to originate with Lila. There's no proof, but no one else would have the balls to say something like that about me. It's never even been whispered before. For it to emerge, AFTER I all but made out with Arnold in front of the whole school, it has to be a counter strike."

Helga watched as Phoebe processed this information. It had to annoy the genius that her 'absence' from the social scene at school had left her with so little information to work with. If Helga was right, which face it, she was, than Phoebe would spend the weekend making her rounds and catching up on everything that she had missed out on. And the first person she would want to talk to was her almost boyfriend, Gerald.

Helga mulled that one over as she pretended to take notes. It was a good thing they were studying poetry this month. Helga was a master at poetry. In fact, there wasn't a thing on the syllabus that Helga had not read AND discussed on the online poetry chat room she participated in.

"Helga? In an effort to help you, would you mind if I spoke with Gerald?" And there it was.

Helga sighed. While she and Gerald had never been on the best of terms, they did tolerate each other for Phoebe's sake. And even though he was Arnold's best friend, Helga was pretty sure that if Phoebe asked him to not to repeat something she mentioned, he wouldn't. So how much was Helga comfortable allowing Phoebe to reveal to him?

Helga thought about her desire to change. It would certainly be a change from usual to allow anyone to know more than the barest of information about her life. Perhaps this was the key to being trustworthy. Trusting others. Then maybe they would begin to trust her too.

"Sure, speak to lover-boy, but let's talk more about this after school. Big Bob and Miriam are out of town this weekend, want to spend the night?"

Phoebe smiled and nodded and both girls refocused there attention on their assignments.

"Phoebe, just what information would you want to share with Gerald?" The girls were finally free for the weekend and sitting on Helga's bed eating pizza.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure just yet. Obviously I'd like to clarify that you are not a lesbian, which I still think you should take care of yourself." Helga rolled her eyes. "But mostly I'd like to see what information he has and if I need to give a little to get a little…"

Helga snorted. Phoebe scowled. "Oh! You know what I mean. Get your mind out of the gutter. It's not like that between us."

"Only because you won't let it be." It was common knowledge around the school that Gerald was Phoebe's man. They went to events together and casually dated during the school year, but Phoebe did not want anything to distract her from her main reason for being there: her education. During the summer, they acted more like a real couple.

Before the Helga could delve any further into the subject, Phoebe's cell phone rang.

"Hello? Oh, hey, how's it going? Right, yeah. I think I aced them. Oh really? Interesting. Ok, see you then." Phoebe hung up the phone and looked at her best friend. "Nadine would like to hang out Monday after school. She didn't say why exactly, but I have a feeling that she's investigating this love triangle you created."

Helga gave her friend an arched looked. While she didn't mind Phoebe confiding in her almost boyfriend, she wasn't sure what to think about Nadine.

"I see. Any idea what information she's trying to glean from you?"

Phoebe shrugged. "Nope. But look at it this way. She obviously does not accept that the rumors floating around are true. Maybe I can win you another ally, it's not like you have many of those."

"No Phoebe, that's where you're wrong, I have a great many allies, the true problem is that they are not the right allies for this battle."

Phoebe accepted the correction and picked up a slice of pizza. "You know Helga, you've been much more open minded about this whole ordeal than you would have been even a month ago. What's changed?"

Helga sighed. Now was as good a time as any to enlist Phoebe's help in the real battle, the battle with herself. It was going to be a long, uphill climb for Helga to become the person she really wanted to be, and her best friend would be more than happy to help her become a better person.

"Me."


	5. Gerald

_Hey all! Sorry for how sporadic I am with the updates. Unfortunately for y'all, I'm a full time college student, graduating this May, with a job AND an internship, the combination of which means I'm working more than if I had a full time job. Craziness, right? Anyway, thanks for putting up with me. Here's the next chapter._

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Gerald grinned at the sight of the pretty Asian girl he considered his girlfriend. Sure she refused to label herself as such, but she also refused to date anyone else. Gerald kissed her on the cheek and led her to his car and opened her door for her.

"Good evening, Phoebe, I thought we could grab a bite to eat and then go see that new sci-fi movie. What do you think?"

"That sounds wonderful Gerald. It's been so long since we've been able to really spend time together."

"Well if you would just drop out of school and run away with me than we would see each other more often." Gerald raised his eyebrows expectantly at the girl. She giggled.

"Oh yes, Gerald, that would solve all of my problems." The two teens laughed. Gerald knew that Phoebe had been fairly stressed about her college exams, but he also knew that if any high school student could handle multiple college classes, it was Phoebe.

Gerald pulled up to Frosty's and parked his car. While the place wasn't all that fancy, everyone from the neighborhood just loved their floats. It was always Phoebe's first choice for a casual date.

Once the two had ordered and were seated, Phoebe asked Gerald to fill her in about everything she had missed while studying in the library. Gerald knew by the tone of her voice that she had heard the rumors flying about her best friend.

"Well, everyone's been buzzing about that performance of Helga's last week at the talent show. I don't think anyone was expecting it, except for you maybe." Gerald paused to wait for the girl's acknowledgement. When she blushed and nodded, he went on. "The rumors were pretty tame at first. There were things about Helga wanting Arnold for herself, and Lila and Arnold's relationship being on the rocks. Things that you would expect from the show put on. But then, out of the blue, everyone is talking about Helga being a lesbian. That one was a shock. You wouldn't believe how many people from the old group showed up at the lunch table that day. Helga didn't, Lila was sick that day, and you were studying, but everyone who had that lunch, plus anyone who could get a pass, was at that table."

"Wow, I didn't realize that it was a sudden rumor. By the time I heard it, the talk had quieted down. But it did seem like the accepted truth." Phoebe's eyes were wide from shock for her friend.

"Seriously. I mean, you know how I usually sit with the football guys, Sid and Stinky and Arnold and Harold. And you and Helga usually join us a little ways in. But Rhonda and Nadine bailed on their usual table. Sheena came inside for once. Eugene and Curly got passes. And Park and Lorenzo kept texting Rhonda from their classes. Even that strange kid who played a peapod back in 4th grade stopped by."

"Oh, yeah. I haven't seen him since we started middle school. Isn't his name Chris or something?"

"That sounds about right. But anyway, it was one crowded table that day. And loud. But by the end of lunch Nadine firmly stated that she didn't think Helga was a lesbian, but Sheena swore up and down that Lila said she was. No one really knew what to think. We really didn't think Sheena was a liar, but we all wanted to think that we knew Helga well enough to know something that major. And if Sheena wasn't lying, than either Helga really is a lesbian, or Lila lied to Sheena, or somewhere someone had a serious misunderstanding."

"Wow, if only I had been there that day. I will tell you Gerald, Helga is not a lesbian. I can't say anything for why Lila would claim she is, but Helga even reinforced the fact that she isn't as soon as I asked her about that rumor."

"And you don't think she was just scared…" The look Phoebe gave him stopped him before he could finish the sentence.

"Think about it Gerald, if Helga wasn't too scared to ask Lila out, why would she be scared now? If Helga didn't know Lila well enough to know her sexual orientation, then she wouldn't know her well enough to trust that she wouldn't say anything about hers. If Helga was willing to take that risk, then she obviously wasn't too concerned about that information getting out. Therefore, if she's denying it now, then she never asked Lila out to begin with."

Gerald thought about this. It made sense. Helga wasn't one to take risks unless she was totally committed to seeing them through. Look at the talent show situation. She risked public ridicule from the whole school to make a move on Arnold, in front of his girlfriend, when she could have done something quietly. And then, when everyone was up in arms, she stepped back and let everyone make their own assumptions. There were no threats from Ole Betsy to people who spread false information or people getting beat up for giggling about her crush on Arnold.

"I think you must be right Phoebe. Arnold will be interested to hear that. He's been really curious to know which rumors to believe." Phoebe gave Gerald a startled look. "Oh come on, he's my best friend. You don't seriously think I'm not going to confirm Helga's gender interests to him. Plus, he deserves to know that his girlfriend might be making up stories about one of his friends."

"I know, Gerald. I just didn't realize that Arnold hadn't just assumed Helga is a lesbian. If Lila really told Sheena that Helga asked her out, I'd assume Arnold believed his girlfriend."

"You would think that, but lately, I don't know. It's almost as if he doesn't have the same trust in Lila that he used to. He trusts her not to cheat on him or anything, but he isn't convinced about her true feelings toward him anymore."

"You mean, he thinks Lila wants to dump him?"

"No, that's the crazy part. Arnold is positive that Lila wants their relationship to make it. He just doesn't think it's for the right reasons. Like Lila wants him for what he stands for rather than who he is. Does that make sense?"

Phoebe nodded. Gerald could tell that she was storing all this information away, probably to pass it on to her best friend, just as he would do for his.

"In that case, is it possible that Lila feels threatened and she's lying to take Helga out of the picture? I don't know about you guys, but for years it's been common knowledge among us girls that Helga absolutely will not contradict rumors."

"Really? That surprises me. I don't know about the rest of them, but I thought she did. I don't remember the time I heard anything about her before this fiasco. I guess that's why they're flying now."

Phoebe nodded. "She let it out during a slumber party at Rhonda's last year. I wasn't there, but from what she's told me Rhonda broke into her parent's liquor cabinet and they were all pretty tipsy. They were talking about some government lesson on the amendments when Helga spilled her guts about her love for freedom of speech and the first amendment and that sort of stuff. She told them that she would despise herself if she threatened someone for what they said. She also told them that she would never confirm nor deny any rumor about herself to the whole school."

"Is that true?"

"It sure is. I remember the last time a rumor went around about Helga. It was in 9th grade, right after Brainy moved. Everyone said she'd been a tease toward him, but when he finally asked her out, she humiliated him in public. They went on and on about it for weeks, about how much of a bitch she was. More than one of our friends gave her the cold shoulder. It wasn't until after Rhonda's slumber party the next year that they realized why she wouldn't deny it."

"Yeah, I vaguely remember something about that. But I think it was during playoffs, and coach had the freshmen going to the varsity games to observe. We weren't around much then." Phoebe nodded.

"So wait, if I went up to Helga and asked her if she likes guys or girls, she won't tell me?" Phoebe shook her head.

"No, she would probably tell you, but you're a friend of hers. She might not give you the straightest answer in the world, no pun intended, but you would know what she meant. But if a complete stranger walks up and asks her, that's a different story."

"Well, that must certainly keep her life interesting."

"It does and it doesn't. Girls can be mean and catty. One of the reasons rumors never get started about Helga is because she doesn't care, or at least people think she doesn't. Quite often rumors get started just to hurt someone. Girls don't bother with her because it won't give them the desired affect. However, this rumor, should Arnold believe it, will give Lila the desired affect."

Gerald nodded. "Arnold won't bother pursuing Helga because Helga doesn't like boys."

"Exactly."

"This is one crazy circle we run in Phoebe. But if you're finished eating, I suggest we put all this craziness off until later, and go finish up our not really date." Gerald stood and moved around the table to help his (almost) girlfriend up. She took his hand and smiled.

"Why yes, Gerald, that sounds amazing."


	6. Phoebe

Phoebe walked quickly through the halls. She was late for her meeting with Nadine. She hated being late. She wasn't even all that sure how she had come to be running late. She had been sitting in the library, relieved that she could go there for enjoyment rather than hard core studying now. She had overheard a couple of girls talking about Helga and leaned closer to hear what they were saying. From what Phoebe could tell they were freshmen who knew her from theatre and were none too pleased about people slandering their idol. Apparently they were planning on getting revenge on her behalf.

Next thing Phoebe knows she's involved in their conversations, cautioning them against anything too rash and promising to pass on their offers of help to Helga. By the time Phoebe got another look at the clock, she was late.

Just as Phoebe rounded the corner, her phone buzzed. Nadine glanced up and grinned.

"Hey, I just texted you to make sure you were coming." Phoebe sighed and filled her in on the reason she was late. Nadine was impressed, not that there were people that idolized Helga, but that they were willing to go to such extremes to help her. The stunts they were planning would surely get them suspended if they were caught, maybe even expelled.

But this just reaffirmed the girls' quest to assist their friends. And both of them knew that if Nadine was going to firmly choose Helga's side, and bring Rhonda and her admirers with her, than they were going to need to evaluate all of the evidence and circumstances. Nadine would have to know that Helga was worth her good word. Arnold was worth that to every one of his friends.

Nadine followed Phoebe out of the school and to her car. Normally, meetings of any type among this group were held at Frosty's, but this was too important to risk someone over hearing. This was so important the girls actually waited all the way to Nadine's house before they spoke further on the situation.

"So, Phoebe, I assume you know that I am trying to get to the bottom of the rumors flying around school. And I want to help Arnold, since he's always helping us, so it's important to know which girl would make him happiest. Then, because I refuse to actually interfere, I will show support for my choice. It's really a lot like an election. Everyone is spreading information, both true and false, and showing their support for a candidate, but the voters are the only ones who can actually choose. Arnold is the voter."

Phoebe watched the other girl while she was explaining herself. Helga had given her leave to distribute whatever information she thought she should. She trusted her. If Phoebe gave Nadine the wrong piece of information, and it backfired, then she would ruin her friend's chances.

"Ok Nadine, what do you think you need to know? I can tell you right now that Helga is not a lesbian, and that she really does like Arnold, but I need specifics for anything more."

The other girl gave her a contemplative look, as if she understood exactly why Phoebe hesitated to spill her friend's secrets. Finally, she grinned and began asking her questions.

Two hours later Phoebe and Nadine were finally wrapping up their meeting. After their hesitant beginnings, they had come to an understanding and had been happily swapping information ever since.

Nadine's interesting spy network was a total surprise to Phoebe, but Phoebe had the in with Arnold through Gerald that Nadine could not replicate no matter who she found to spy.

Phoebe gathered her belongings and stood. "I know that you have only the best intentions in mind, but please be careful who you share your information with. The things I told you, as well as quite a bit of the information you gathered yourself, could seriously hurt Helga. I'm sure you have some idea of her less than ideal home life. It's taken her years to learn to trust people in general. It's taken quite a bit on my part, as well as Arnold's, to get her to this point. Don't ruin our efforts."

Nadine nodded a solemn look on her face. "Thank you, I hope I can help her like you obviously have."

Phoebe turned and left the room.

* * *

The next day, Tuesday, Phoebe sought out her best friend immediately.

"Helga, I need your help. How well do you know the freshman theatre students?" Helga shook her head, confusion evident on her face.

"I know their faces, and a couple of names. Why? What do they have to with the price of tea in China?" Phoebe stopped for a moment, just as confused as Helga had been moments before. Then she waved off the comment and continued.

"There were a few girls in the library yesterday. I overheard them talking about some pranks they would pull for revenge on your behalf. I convenced them to wait until you spoke with them about the possibility of them helping you."

Helga broke out into a wide grin, possibly the first of the week. The rumors had been getting worse, with a couple of cheerleaders also claiming to have been hit on by her. These girls were taking it a step further by claiming she threatened them. So far, none of the administrators had head any of the worse rumors, but if they did, Helga's record could be in jeopardy.

Phoebe recognized the look on her friend's face and tried to get her attention, but the girl had taken off toward the fine arts wing and it was all Phoebe could do to keep up with her. When Helga had finally slowed, Phoebe saw the girls from yesterday approaching her.

"Helga! We're so glad you're willing to let us help you!" Helga raised her eyebrow at them.

"Hold your horses, girls. Before you go off on some hair-brained idea, let me hear what you've got." Helga listened patiently while the girls explained their ideas. She quickly pulled the most creative aspects out and discarded the rest. Phoebe stood by while Helga tutored the girls in the art of under the radar revenge. This would be a very interesting final week of school.

* * *

Phoebe sighed as she witnessed yet another cheerleader leave class crying. The past two days have been an all out war between the cheerleaders (loyal to Lila) and the theatre department (hero-worshipped Helga). The most disturbing part of this rumor war was that, while quite a few rumors were about Helga, none of the rumors were about Lila. But then again, neither Lila nor Helga deigned to spread a single rumor during this time. This war really was between the groups and not the two girls. In fact, even Nadine would have been hard pressed to find a solid connection between the girl and her respective group during this time. They were entities of themselves.

Gerald and Arnold had confronted Phoebe about the whole ordeal during lunch. With only a day and a half until summer break, they really wanted the facts before everyone dispersed and forgot. Phoebe had been of little help. But she had picked up an interesting tid-bit of information that Nadine had been looking for. Arnold had yet to inform Lila of his plans for the summer. It was common knowledge that she had invited him to spend two weeks out on her family's farm. It was also slightly less common knowledge that she had asked him so they could get away and repair their relationship. It was mere speculation that she really just wanted him away from Helga, especially when she wouldn't be around to stand between them. However, no one knew what Arnold's answer was. It was assumed that he had already informed her of his decision and they were just keeping it under wraps. The only other theory was that he had said no and they just didn't spread the information around. But according to Stinky, who usually shared the same summer job as Arnold, he had informed their boss that he wouldn't be available to work until the end of the month.

Arnold let it slip to Phoebe that he was suppose to give her an answer after school the next day and he still didn't know what that answer would be. He'd made preperations for either decision and that was what was throwing everyone off in their guesses. Phoebe was slightly shocked. She found it hard to believe that Arnold really didn't know what he needed to do, even after he told her his reasons. And then Mr. Advice himself asked her for help. Gerald's jaw dropped at that one. Phoebe had shrugged. She really didn't know, and she told him that. And then she added that he needed to remove Helga from the picture completely and decide whether or not he thought Lila would have invited him (and if he'd have accepted) if their relationship wasn't strained. If he didn't think their relationship would survive without this trip, than maybe their relaionship wasn't meant to last. Arnold tilted his head, obviously mulling over what she had told him and smiled at her.

Phoebe was interupted from her musings by yet another cheerleader losing it. This time the girl tried to slap someone for a rumor they confronted her about after their final. The teacher caught her hand before it connected. Phoebe sighed, she really needed to speak to Helga about calling off her dogs. The bell rang and everyone bolted, worried that they might be next on the list to offend one of the groups.


	7. Arnold

_Sorry for the hold up on this chapter. I actually had the rough draft of chapter 8 done before this one. I knew what needed to happen, but I just couldn't get it out of my head and onto paper. Chapter 8 will be up soon, I promise. I just need to edit it to make sure it flows with this chapter._

* * *

Arnold was frustrated. Lila was waiting for his answer. Or rather, Lila was waiting for him to confirm that he was going with her to her family's farm. But Arnold wasn't sure he wanted to go to her farm with her. It was a big step in their relationship, him spending an extended amount of time with her family.

Unfortunately, he didn't think Lila would accept that answer. He knew she was jealous, extremely so if the hints Nadine was passing him had any merit. But there really wasn't anything to be jealous of. Perhaps Helga liked him, and perhaps she'd gotten extremely hot over the past few years, but Helga wasn't his girlfriend. Lila was. Why couldn't that be good enough for her?

Arnold trudged through the school, clearly not as happy as everyone else was about the final bell ringing. Lila was meeting him at Frosty's. She'd been exempt from her last final and didn't want to sit around the school for two hours. Since they let out at noon, she thought it would be nice to meet there for lunch. Arnold had never looked forward to Frosty's less.

Gerald sidled up next to him, moral support for the agonizing short walk.

"Hey man, have you decided what your answer's gonna be?" Arnold glared at his best friend. "I'll take that as no. Well man, it's a hard decision for anyone. I mean, Lila is perfect girlfriend material. She's sweet, polite, even tempered, and cute. But Helga-"

"What do you mean 'but Helga'? Helga's got nothing to do with this decision. I don't know if you're aware of this, but I have to let Lila know if I want to spend two weeks on her family's farm or not." Gerald gave him a look.

"Dude, Helga's got everything to do with this. Have you noticed all of the crazy rumors flying around the school these past couple of weeks? The barely school appropriate pranks played on the cheerleaders? The dirty looks? The tension? I know you can be dense, but seriously."

"Thanks Gerald, way to make me feel better with insults." Gerald glared at his friend.

"Hold on, before you say anything else, I want to make something clear to you. This decision, whether you go with Lila or stay in Hillwood, is actually a choice between Lila and Helga. All the craziness that's been going on is really just those two in a mad dash to the finish line. If you go with Lila, she wins. If you don't, it says to the entire school that Helga has more sway over you."

"Gerald, that's ridiculous. Just because I want to stay here and work over the summer doesn't mean that I'm dumping Lila." Gerald stopped, giving his friend a long look. Finally, he shrugged and started walking again.

"Whatever you say man, whatever you say."

"Right, whatever I say, and I say that–" Arnold was cut off by Lila, who was standing outside of Frosty's waiting for him.

"And just what do you say, Arnold? I really wish you would let me know sooner, after all, my aunt does have preparations to make." Lila wrapped her arms around her boyfriend. "Lucky for you that I went ahead and told her to get the guest room ready."

"Lila, I told you I wasn't sure I could get those weeks off. I've had a job lined up for months."

"Well you are coming with me, aren't you?"

"No Lila, I wasn't planning on it." A dark look washed across Lila's face. "Look, Lila, I know you're unhappy, but I really need the money for college. My grandparents can't pay for it and I can make a lot in those two weeks. Plus, there's been some tension around the boarding house and grandpa's health hasn't been the greatest. I just don't feel like it's appropriate to fling all that to the side so I can waste time hanging out on a farm."

"Waste time? What do you mean waste time?" Lila's voice was cool and low. "We barely see each other because of all the activities you participate in and when I ask you to come spend time with me you call it wasted? How dare you. Does our relationship mean nothing to you?"

Arnold was exasperated. Why couldn't she see the bigger picture here? He was needed at home. End of story.

"Lila, of course our relationship is important, but I just can't go anywhere right now. Perhaps if you had asked me sooner, I could have figured out a way, but you only gave me a couple weeks notice."

The two were glaring at each other. Neither had noticed that a small crowd had formed around them, a crowd that included many of their friends.

"Well forgive me for trying to save our relationship. I can see that you aren't interested in that at all." Lila, in a huff, turned to leave.

"Lila, what do you want me to do?" Lila slowly turned back around.

"I want you to come with me." Arnold gave his girlfriend an exasperated look.

"I can't do that." Lila crossed her arms.

"If you want this relationship, you will come with me." The crowd of people leaned closer. This would be juicy gossip to tell their more unfortunate friends about. Arnold narrowed his eyes.

"Is that how it's going to be?" Arnold watched as Lila tilted her nose up. "Fine, we're through." Arnold turned and stalked away. He could hear the murmurs running through the crowd he had just registered as being there. Darn, if he'd have been paying more attention to them, he would have taken Lila somewhere more private for that last part of the conversation.

Arnold finally realized what he had done. He had broken up with the girl he'd liked since grade school. He thought about turning back, apologizing, begging her forgiveness. But then he would have to go with her. It was always her way or the highway. He couldn't take it anymore. No matter how much it hurt, it was better that it had been sudden. It was like ripping a band-aid off. If he dwelled on the situation, or even tried to get back together with her, it would hurt more in the long run. Better he take the next two weeks to compose himself, that way when he saw her again, he wouldn't make a fool out of himself begging her to take him back.

As Arnold rounded the corner, he slammed into someone else.

"Oh! Watch where you're going, jerk!" Arnold picked himself up to see none other than Helga, sitting on the ground, picking up sheets of paper. Her hair was in her face, so when she finally brushed it aside and looked up, her face had a very startled expression.

"Arnold! I mean, pay attention–"

"I broke up with Lila." Helga stopped short of whatever it was that she was going to say. She looked like she didn't know quite what to do. "She gave me an ultimatum. Go with her or end it. I ended it."

"I'm sorry Arnold; I know you've liked her since forever almost." Arnold shrugged. He didn't know quite what to do either.

"You know, you'd think I would be more upset about losing her, but I guess this is just a testament to the state of our relationship. I'm upset, but I'm more annoyed that she gave me that ultimatum. I feel bad about dumping her, but I think I feel worse for how I did it than actually doing it."

"I'd say I understood, but I really don't and I hate when people try to act like they do." Arnold looked at the girl who'd made his life miserable throughout his childhood. The girl he never quite understood. The girl who could be kind and sensitive and caring when she thought no one was looking. The girl who'd changed so much in the past couple of months. The girl who'd all but declared she wanted him for herself in front of the entire school.

"I don't even understand. I should be more upset about this. I just dumped the girl I've been chasing since 4th grade, and I'm only upset because I'm not upset. How unfeeling is that?"

"Maybe the two of you were growing apart. It happens, you know? Perhaps, deep down, you knew that you weren't going anywhere, that you didn't want to be with her any more. And I know that rumors aren't necessarily the truth, but over the past couple of months, there have been quite a few about the two of you and the state of your relationship."

"I think I know you're right, Helga, but this is still really stressing me out. Thanks for your help, though." Helga smiled. "You've been really nice about this, nice like I always knew you could be."

The girl grimaced. "Don't spread that around. I've been trying some new things lately. It's about time to grow up, mature. I can't act like a ten year old forever."

"I'll keep quiet, but you know if you're nice to people, they will notice."

"Don't remind me. It's hard enough changing; it's not like I need everyone commenting on it." Arnold grinned. He was glad that Helga was trying to be the person he always knew she could be. This was the change he'd always supported her for. Maybe soon everyone could see that her inside matched her outside.

"Well, see you Arnold; I have to get over to Phoebe's house." Helga turned to leave.

"Helga, wait! Would you like me to walk with you?"


	8. Lila

_Here you go! I really shouldn't write later chapters before earlier chapters. I confuse myself._

* * *

Lila was shocked. Arnold had broken up with her. He wasn't supposed to break up with her. He had been in love with her since the fourth grade. He was the reliable boyfriend that all of her friends envied her for. He took care of her; made sure she didn't need anything. He was the one who should be in this relationship for the long haul.

In the back of her mind, she had always known that it _might_ come to this. Lila had tried to steer him away from other girls he might be interested in. Some other girl could always slip unnoticed under the radar and catch his eye, but, as there hadn't been any new students lately, she hadn't been paying too much attention. Helga Pataki was the one girl Lila had never expected he'd go for. Sure, Lila knew that Helga had a crush on Arnold, but it was supposed to be unrequited. Arnold had never been interested in her in the past, and Helga certainly didn't look any different than she did the previous year, but apparently something _had_ changed and now Arnold was ending their relationship because of her.

Those silly rumors about Helga's sexuality, Lila's last ditch attempt to stay Arnold's wander eye, hadn't done anything. Instead, it birthed a monster. The theatre students and the cheerleaders might always hate each other now, all because Lila had started a rumor. Whether or not anyone believed her, she really was ashamed of herself for that.

Lila sighed. It was absurd. Arnold had completely changed directions on her. How had this happened? One of the biggest reasons Lila had agreed to date Arnold was because of the security he brought with him. Prior to her relationship with him, she'd dated a few different guys, but never for very long. Every one of them had done something to betray her trust. The first one cheated on her. One of them lied and sneaked around behind her back. The most reliable of the set had a tendency to present her with gifts that she later found out were stolen. They were into drugs, gangs, and violence. Lila had probably been in more relationships than any other girl at her school, and all before the end of 9th grade. Not a single guy who showed any interest in her was reliable, except for Arnold, and now he'd ended things with her.

Granted, she really should have seen this coming. They'd been at odds with each other for quite some time now, but if they made it through, Lila would have been set for life. That was really all she wanted. Her family had a knack for choosing horrible partners. She did not have a single aunt who had been in a perfect first relationship, except for her mother, but she was dead. Sure, if they bothered to divorce their lousy husbands, they always found a great guy the second time around, but Lila had wanted that great guy without the hassle of a divorce. She'd hoped that the slew of bad relationships before Arnold would count for something, but apparently not.

Lila focused on the road ahead of her. Her father used to drive her out to Aunt Peggy's farm, but since she'd gotten her license, it was just easier for her to drive herself. If Arnold had accepted her invitation, she would have someone to talk to right now. However, since he didn't, it was nice to be able to sulk in peace. By the time she arrived at the farm, she would be her normal perky self.

The radio station became fuzzy, so Lila switched to a CD. The first song that came on was the song playing when she and Arnold first kissed. She quickly switched it. With another sigh came more contemplation. With the way the break-up had happened, it was unlikely that she and Arnold would remain friends, but that was just as well. In time, they would be able to greet each other in public, to stop and chat like old acquaintances tend to do, but there was no way she could handle watching him move on. Yet another reason she was happy for this time away from everything. Unfortunately, it was doubtful that he would already be in a relationship when she returned. He wasn't the type to jump from girl to girl and at some point, she would have to watch those first happy stages of whatever new relationship he developed. And it would probably be with Helga.

Another sigh. Helga. A girl she had never really been friends with. A girl who was so incredibly different than she. A girl who was next in line to win Arnold's heart. A girl who she was sure hated her.

Lila pushed all thoughts of Helga to the back of her mind. It wouldn't do to dwell on her. Hegla had achieved her goal in ridding her crush of his girlfriend, now it really didn't matter if Arnold dated her or not. The only thing that really mattered to Lila was who he wasn't dating.

Lila had always imagined that she would break up with Arnold, should their differences become irreconcilable. Even though her friends expressed envy over her steady boyfriend, they quickly forgot about her and returned to their spotting of boys. Because Lila was 'taken', they assumed that she wouldn't want to giggle about boys with them, and it was partially true. She didn't want to seem unfaithful, but she could still admire, right? Her friends, at least those from the cheerleading team, thought that if you were looking at members of the opposite sex, you were looking to date them. Or fool around with them. If Lila had mentioned any positive attributes in any way other than "Oh, he's cute. _You_ should go talk to him." the others would immediately spread rumors about her infidelity. Or rather, that's what it would sound like to the rest of the school.

So Lila had always felt a little left out during these conversations. That was a reason that, perhaps, Lila might be inclined to dump Arnold. But even then only if there were other major issues in the relationship. Which there had been. But Lila hadn't been ready to give up yet. She still wanted the stability he brought with him.

Stability. Was that really the main reason she had been dating him? Lila ran through a mental list. Was he attractive? He was, reasonably so anyway. He wasn't the hottest guy she knew, but those guys were been jerks. What about funny? She supposed he was. Others had always laughed at his jokes, but she usually only laughed to be polite. Much of what he joked about was idiotic in her opinion. Did she have great conversations with him? Well, sometimes. But often their opinions were much the same on things, and if they weren't, it was because the topic didn't interest one party and they never got far enough on those topics to really have a conversation. She knew he had some really deep discussions with other friends, as did she, but they hardly ever had them together. Was there passion? Not really. Sure they fooled around when they weren't too busy with school and homework and sometimes jobs, but it was more because people expected them to be messing around rather than anything else. When Arnold kissed her, she felt safe. When he hugged her, she felt his arms around her. When she watched movies and listened to her friends stories, she saw intensity and thrills. So no, she really didn't think there was much passion in there relationship.

Lila groaned as she thought about that. Her major high school relationship had been based on stability. What a horrible thought. Stability in and of itself was not a bad thing, but it certainly wasn't a great thing when that was all you had going for you. This wasn't to say that Lila was over him, but perhaps, in a couple of weeks, it would be easier to go home than she imagined it would be right now. With a little time to heal, maybe this wouldn't look like such a bad thing. Hopefully, Lila would be able to hold up her chin and show the world that she had moved on with her life.

Lila turned off the state highway and onto a dirt road. She would be arriving at the farm in a matter of minutes. She glanced around, looking for any sign of another vehicle. Satisfied that she wouldn't be in the way, she stopped her car and reached into the back seat for her make-up bag. It wouldn't do for her to show up looking like she'd been crying, then everyone would want to know what was wrong. She was through thinking about it for the time being. All she wanted right now was to forget. That's what this vacation would be dedicated to, dulling the pain.

Lila looked in the mirror and touched up the last bit of eyeliner that was smudged. She put her bag away, picked up her chin, and continued down the gravel road, intent on having a good time with her family.


	9. Sid

Sid walked into Frosty's, ready for a good old fashion root beer float. He had just finished his first week of his senior year or high school, and it was already much more intense than any other year of school. Too bad summer was over. It had been a great one.

While Sid waited for his girlfriend, Nadine, he thought about some of the crazy things that had happened. Much of the neighborhood's summer vacation had been greatly affected by the final weeks of the previous year. Sid and Nadine had become closer due to their collecting of information regarding their friends. After they realize what a good espionage team they made, Sid asked her out to a movie and the rest just fell into place.

Another interesting occurrence was how close some of the girls from the old group had become. Helga started acting nicer towards others and, due to the research Nadine and Rhonda had done, it seemed like they had a better understanding of her. That first Sunday after school let out, Rhonda hosted a slumber party and invited Helga and Phoebe, along with Nadine, of course. It turned into a weekly event. Every Sunday from then on the four girls spent the night at Rhonda's house. According to Nadine, they were cutting them back to once a month, to be held on the third Friday.

But by far, the craziest thing of all was the relationship that had begun to develop between Helga and Arnold. They weren't officially dating, but, according to Gerald, that was because Arnold didn't want Helga to be a rebound girlfriend. However, that did not stop them from flirting like crazy all summer long. They were constantly seen together. Whether it was a movie, dinner, or a stroll in the park, they were with one another. If an outsider were to see them, they would assume they'd been a couple for years they were so comfortable with one another.

Most of the gang had placed bets on when they would officially get together. Most had already lost, but Sid, with the Nadine's help, was still in the running. He guessed that they would announce their change in relationship around homecoming.

Sid snapped back to reality when Nadine slipped into the booth beside him. Rhonda and Helga joined them across the table.

"Hey sweetie, how was your day?" Sid turned and kissed his girlfriend. It was nice to be able to spend a Friday afternoon with her. Football games were starting next week, so it wouldn't happen again until winter.

"It was fine. I've already received my first major assignment in AP Biology. Phoebe's going to be my partner. I'm glad she's in that class with me, it's always nice to have a good friend around, especially in a tough class. How are you doing?"

"Pretty good, better now that you're here." The other two girls groaned while Nadine grinned from ear to ear. Listening to other people's sappiness was obviously not their preferred pastime. "I was just thinking about summer break and how awesome it was."

Helga and Rhonda both smiled. This was obviously a more appealing topic than listening to Sid and Nadine sweet talk each other.

"It was a great summer, wasn't it. Although it would have been better if you and Arnold had made it official." Rhonda turned and gave Helga a pointed look. Her bet had been blown at the beginning of August and she hadn't been thrilled to have been wrong.

"What can I say? Arnold wants to make sure he's completely over his relationship with Lila before we go any further. I can't say that I blame him; I don't want to date someone who is hung up on someone else."

"I hear you Helga, plus, if you two had made it official during the summer, my bet for Homecoming would be blown." Sid grinned when Rhonda gave him a dirty look.

Nadine smiled evilly, "You know Helga, you could always take initiative and ask him to the Sadie Hawkins dance coming up. Then you could ask him to be your boyfriend." Sid blanched. Nadine was trying to manipulate the situation. All three girls laughed. "By the way, Sid, will you come to the Sadie Hawkins dance with me?"

The other girls laughed again as Sid smiled and nodded, giving his girlfriend another kiss on the cheek. "I would love to go to the dance with you, Nadine."

"Good." Nadine turned her attention back across the table. "Oh, Rhonda, who are you going to ask?"

Rhonda shrugged. "I hadn't really decided. There's a hot guy that sits next to Helga in our math class that would make good arm candy."

Helga almost choked on her drink. "Are you serious? You want to ask him?"

Everyone looked at Helga. "He's hot. Why, does he have a girlfriend? What else do you know about him?"

Helga shook her head. "If you don't know, I'm not going to tell you. He's single though, you should definitely ask him. He's attracted to you, I can tell."

Rhonda gave Helga an exasperated look. "Fine, I don't have time for your games, I'll figure it out myself. Right now, I've got to go. My parents are hosting a dinner tonight, have you heard who's back? Brainy, though I think he goes by Brian these day. Anyway, his parents and my parents have been friends for years, and they're coming over tonight for a welcome back dinner. There'll be some other families too, but I need to get home now. I'll see you later."

As soon as Rhonda was safely out of the door, Helga burst out laughing. "Oh my gosh, Rhonda has no idea who it is that sits next to me." Sid and Nadine gave her a look that clearly said continue. "It's Curly! Only he doesn't go by Curly anymore. He goes by Thad now. Rhonda was held up in the front office on the first day of class and didn't hear the teacher call role. I managed to save her the seat in front of me, but it means she doesn't see his name on his papers."

"Seriously? Rhonda and Curly share a class and he doesn't declare his love for her at every turn?" Sid was flabbergasted. Pigs must have grown wings.

"Yeah, I'm sure he still likes her though. He's always watching her. But I haven't seen Curly in years, I wonder why I haven't had any classes with him until now." Helga looked contemplative.

"Oh, Curly was sent to a military school during freshman year. His dad finally got sick of his wild behavior. I guess he's back now. Does he look much different? I assume he would since Rhonda thinks he's hot." Nadine, once again, had more answers than anyone else.

"Oh yeah, I'd definitely ask him to the dance if it wasn't for Arnold. But speaking of Arnold, I should hit the road. We're going to a movie tonight. I'll see you two later." Helga gathered up her trash and waved as she walked away from the table.

"A movie doesn't sound like a bad plan. Would you like to go see one with me Nadine?" Nadine giggled and nodded. "Well, after you milady." Sid gathered their trash and threw it away. As he held open the door for his amazing girlfriend he thought about how great this school year was looking to be.

It's finished! I can't believe it I've finished my first chaptered story. Thank you all for your patience (by the way, I just took my GMATs, another crazy thing in the life of a college senior) and reviews. I guess I'm not as terrible a writer as I always thought.

Special thanks go to:

acosta perez jose ramiro – thank you for reviewing on every chapter and always having something nice to say

Phantom Amethyst – thank you for that juicy bit you loaned me. I would have loved to have used it, but alas, it just wasn't meant to be. I still hope to see it in one of your own stories.

Malicious Moose – thank you for your kind and frequent reviews

Jadeykins, The Wynter, and Hellerick Ferlibay – thanks for the reviews!

Everyone else – thanks for reading!

I guess now I can write a new story. I already have an idea for one floating around up there.


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